Zakath's War
by WillowSioui
Summary: ZakathxOC. After the events of The Place Which is No More; Zakath and Cyradis are not together. While Zakath is heading home, Atesca and Brador by his side, he gets attacked on the roadside.
1. Ambush

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own the Belgariad/Malloreon in any way. I do, however, own the OC and the plot.**

**Plot:**** ZakathxOC. After the events of The Place Which is No More; Zakath and Cyradis are not together. While Zakath is heading home, Atesca and Brador by his side, he gets attacked on the roadside.**

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Zakath rocks with the slow stroll of his horse, looking around him with a bored air. Both Atesca and Brador are on either side of him, neither one talking. They are followed by a good thirty Malloreon legionnaires. There is a small rustling in the trees, upsetting the branches. This should have caught someone's attention, since there is not even a breeze in the Eastern Malloreon air. Suddenly, there is a whizzing sound, and one of the legionnaires tumbles from his horse, clutching at an arrow protruding from his throat. The rest of the legionnaires draw their swords, surrounding Zakath. Atesca shouts orders, his sword flailing. There is a long silence, and then one of the branches in one of the trees snaps, someone tumbling out of it with a curse. The legionnaires swarm the figure, dragging it to its feet and pulling it towards Zakath's horse. The figure is that of a young woman with honey blonde hair softly curling around her shoulders in a small ponytail. She is wearing all black leather fighting gear, and when she looks up, her near-black eyes bore into Zakath's own. Zakath leans back in the saddle, looking at the girl with an almost amused expression. He indifferently points over his shoulder to the dead legionnaire.

"You killed one of my men." The girl stays silent for a moment, then stands up straight. She brushes off the soldiers, and starts to correct her clothing.

"I was aiming for you." Zakath stares at the small girl, which he had now distinguished as Drasnian, and chuckles. Making a small motion with his hand, Atesca picks the girl up, throwing her on the back of the dead soldiers' horse. He then ties her hands to the horn of the saddle, tying the reins to his own horse. All of the legionnaires remount, and they all start of once more. The young woman rides with a straight-backed dignity, and Zakath reins in beside her.

"You seem to know who I am, otherwise you wouldn't have tried to kill me, but I'm at a loss. What would your name be." The girl looks at him, black eyes flashing, and spits on him. Zakath reaches up to his face and wipes her spit away with disgust.

"Well, that went well." He rides back up to Atesca's side. Atesca nods his head in acknowledgment, and they continue their ride.

"If I may say, sir…" he pauses, looking wirily at Zakath, who nods, " I honestly don't think she's a full-blood Drasnian." Zakath looks at him, then smiles a small smile.

"You wouldn't say."

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**Review, please! This is my first Belgariad/Malloreon fan fiction, so please tell me if there is anything wrong with it! Are the characters too OOC?**

**~Ryuu**


	2. Arabella

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own The Belgariad/Malloreon, but I do own the OC and the plot.**

**Plot:****ZakathxOC. After the events of The Place Which is No More; Zakath and Cyradis are not together. While Zakath is heading home, Atesca and Brador by his side, he gets attacked on the roadside.**

The Malloreon Emperor and his soldiers rein in at a hostel at the side of the road. Zakath dismounts his horse, dusting off his clothing. He scratches at his face and the small beard that had started to grow on the road. He had taken to listening to Garion's advice and he has started to wear a beard everywhere he goes to try and hide who he actually is as well as he can. Garion is the Overlord of the West, a Godslayer, and the King of the Western Sea among other things. He is also the keeper of the Orb of Aldur, but most importantly he is Zakath's most important ally in the West. Atesca stalks up to Zakath, and bows as deeply as his armor will allow him to.

"You're Imperialness, where would you like us to place the girl?" Zakath looks towards his soldiers, who are trying to withhold a struggling girl. He tries not to smile, and looks at Atesca.

"You may place her in my private room." Atesca stands up straight, and gives Zakath an odd look, but he throws the orders at the soldiers anyways. The soldiers bring the girl towards him, and she is flailing around, kicking at them. They walk past Zakath and into the Hostel, Atesca and Zakath following. Atesca looks at Zakath, and shakes his head. They part ways and go into different rooms. Atesca is sharing a room with the rest of the soldiers, while Zakath and the girl are in the room beside them. Zakath walks into his room and closes the door. He looks towards the bed, shaking his head. The girl is sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed, her wrists tied with rope to one of the bedposts. Zakath walks over to her, sitting in front of her. She looks towards him, a few pieces of hair in her face.

"What is your name, girl?" The girl turns her dark gaze back to her hands and tries to get them out of the rope. Zakath sighs and reaches forwards, untying her hands. She looks at him the way a rabbit would look at a wolf. She rubs her wrists, moving closer to the bed. Zakath sits back, looking at her with his head cocked to the side.

"I know, I look horrible with the beard. Angaraks shouldn't wear beards, as I've noticed." He smiles at her, and she relaxes slightly, "But I assure you that I'm not as scary as I look. Now, what is your name?" The girl looks down at her wrists, which are slightly bloody from the rope burn. She looks back up, onyx eyes defiant.

"Arabella. My name is Arabella." Zakath nods his head and closes his eyes.

"Arabella." He repeats, tasting it dance on his tongue. He opens his eyes to see her staring at him warily, almost as if she finds something amusing.

"You're not the evil demonic Hell-raiser I thought you were." She states dryly. Zakath smiles at her, the corners of his eyes wrinkling.

"I've changed a lot in this past year." Arabella shakes her head and stands up. Zakath stands up as well, wondering what she is doing. Arabella walks around him and to the window.

"I'll be going now." Zakath takes a long step forwards, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back. Miss-guessing her weight, Zakath pulls too hard, causing Arabella to stumble backwards. She turns around, just in time to come face-to-face with his chest. She looks up at him, and notices that they are not that far apart. As soon as the two of them realize this, the door opens and Atesca walks in. He stands at the door, shaking his head, and looks at Zakath with a knowing smirk on his face.

"We've been trailed, Milord. Belgarath the Sorcerer is here to see you."

_**Review, please! How is it going? Is everyone in character?**_

_** ~ xoxo, Ryuu**_


	3. Prisoner

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own The Belgariad/Malloreon, but I do own the OC and the plot.**

**Plot:** **ZakathxOC. After the events of The Place Which is No More; Zakath and Cyradis are not together. While Zakath is heading home, Atesca and Brador by his side, he gets attacked on the roadside.**

Zakath's eyes widen slightly, and he nods his head briefly in acknowledgment. Atesca bows again and leaves the room, in search of Belgarath the Sorcerer. Zakath looks towards Arabella, who is looking out the window. The door opens, and Atesca walks in with Belgarath at his side. Zakath nods for Belgarath to sit down, and then he orders some ale for the both of them. Belgarath warily looks at the girl in the corner. She ignores him completely, instead looking out of the window of the hostel. Belgarath looks at Zakath, who just shrugs in response. Atesca comes back into the room, a young serving girl beside him. She hands the two men their ale, as one of Atesca's men brings in an open barrel for the two of them. Atesca rushes the serving girl and the legionnaire out of the room, then bows and leaves himself. Belgarath dips his large cup into the barrel of ale, takes a deep swig of it, and then leans forwards.

"Alright, here's what's been going on." He scratches the side of his nose before continuing, "Garion and C'nedra have just become pregnant again, Erriond is finally getting through to the Thulls, Beldin hasn't been heard from and I doubt he ever will be, and Polgara is too busy being a mother to come and visit me." Zakath nods his head slowly, taking in all of the information. He dips his cup into the ale and takes a small sip.

"So what your saying is that because everyone is busy, and no one has time to talk with you, you've come to me." Belgarath shakes his head.

"Not at all, Zakath. I've come to you so I can get rid of _him_." He finishes the sentence with a tinge of disgust, and points to the doorway, through which Prince Kheldar of Drasnia walks through with a flourish. Zakath watches the small man exchange a hurt look with Belgarath with mild amusement. Kheldar looks towards Arabella and his smile widens. He looks at Zakath and tries to stifle a laugh.

"Looks like you've been busy." Belgarath snorts, finishing off his ale, and dipping it into the keg, filling it up. Zakath glares at Kheldar and his impish expression.

"Never mind." He tells him in an offhand manner. Arabella turns around, hair shifting around her shoulders.

"If you men would be so kind, I'd very much like to leave now." Kheldar moves out of her way, but Zakath holds up one of his hands.

"She's not allowed to leave." Kheldar and Belgarath both look at him suspiciously.

"Why not?" Belgarath questions. Zakath sighs deeply and then glares at Arabella as she tries to walks to the door.

"She's my prisoner." Belgarath snorts in disgust, and Kheldar rolls his eyes ceiling wards. He looks at Arabella with a bored expression, and shakes his head. Arabella tries not to laugh at the small man's antics.

"If you remember correctly, Zakath, we were your prisoners once too. Now, though, we're not." Kheldar explains, while using over exaggerated gestures.

"Oh, be quiet! She's my prisoner, and she will be until we reach Mal Zeth." Zakath snaps at the small man. Arabella throws her hands in the air in defeat, and sits down cross-legged on the floor. Her movements are all cat-like and fluid. Kheldar sits beside her on the floor, holding out his hand.

"You can call me Silk, my fellow Drasnian. And since they won't offer me any of their ale, I guess I'm stuck sitting in the mud with you." Arabella holds out her hand to him.

"You may call me Arabella, Silk. And the floor is not mud; it's dried clay." Silk throws his head back and laughs uproariously. He looks back at her, eyes sparkling.

"I knew you were Drasnian. It just feels…right." Arabella smiles at him, and looks at Zakath.

"Unfortunately, I'm not Drasnian. Well, not in completion." The look in her eyes grows cold and hard, black eyes boring down on Zakath. "I am also Malloreon."

_**Review, please!**_

_**~ xoxo, Ryuu**_


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